Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Focaccia: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

Google informs me that I have reached my viewing limit of The Bread Baker's Apprentice. That means I can't post links to the rest of the recipes in the book. But, you might be able to see the recipes, so check the link above. I will not be posting the recipes here for obvious legal reasons and out of respect for all the work Reinhart has done for his cookbooks. What I hope to do here is inspire you to bake, and guide you through the veganizing.

I have made this focaccia recipe twice now, both times when we had guests. Everyone loved it. But, I suppose that this is because focaccia is pretty heavy on the oil. This recipe makes a wonderfully tender bread with a crispy crust and a honeycomb crumb.

GENERAL NOTES1. I use scant 1/3 of oil total, so I don't bother making the 2 cups of herbed oil Reinhart call for.2. I have used fresh and dried herbs for the oil. Fresh really is better, but dried isn't too shabby either.3. I baked this in a stoneware baking sheet since it is the biggest baking sheet I own. I was worried the bottom would not brown enough, but it turns out just fine.